Eastern Sierra Tri County Fair Ride Review

Looking up; A Ride Review from a Short Person (Grace Griego)

I am Grace Griego, a junior at BUHS, and I am only 5ft tall. The fair is a fun time enjoyed by many, but for the more petite folks like myself, there are some rides that are more enjoyable than others. Here are my reviews on the rides from the 2016 Tri County Fair.

Crazy Train: 1/10

To put it quite simply, this ride was actual hell. I slipped from my seat onto my ride partner’s lap multiple times throughout the experience and I rattled around the seat like a ragdoll, quite painfully I might add. As a short person, I generally have a fear that I might slip and fall out of a ride, but I actually did on this one and I was terrified. I would not recommend this ride to anyone under 5”4.

Fireball: 8/10

This ride is a classic that I always enjoy. While it is true that the space between the harness and myself is a bit too wide so that when we go upside down I fall against the harness and hover from my seat for a bit, I still get just enough of a thrill from the ride that I enjoy it without sheer terror. I recommend this ride to anyone who enjoys a bit of exhilaration.

Footloose: 5/10

This ride was overall just fine. It wasn’t horrible but it did not wow me either. Footloose felt like a more boring, shorter, and slower version of the Fireball. The ride still offered a thrill, but that was only because when we went upside down, I fell against my harness and saw death for a second or two. I would recommend this ride to anyone who wants just a little bit of a thrill, but not too much.

Scrambler: 7/10

As a petite person, generally on this ride you get to squish everyone else. I enjoyed that. I had fun going around and I loved feeling the wind in my hair, all while squishing my friends. The ride does not offer much of a thrill, but I would still recommend this ride to anyone who just wants to have a fun time.

Ferris Wheel: 8/10

This is another classic ride at the fair that always provides a nice break from the hustle and bustle of the fairgrounds. The biggest ferris wheel offers a nice view of the fair and moves fast enough that it is not boring and yet is still calming. I recommend this ride to everyone who is just looking for a little relaxation.

Tornado: 7/10

This ride is extremely fun and enjoyable, but only if you are not prone to motion sickness. The seats were comfortable and I could just sit back and let my friends do all the spinning for me. This ride is like the Mad Hatter’s Teacups at Disneyland but also spins in the air while going in a circle. So pretty much maximum dizziness could be achieved from this ride. I would recommend this ride to anyone so long as they have a strong stomach.

Zipper: 9/10

This ride has to be my favorite ride from the entire fair. Regardless of my height, I can enjoy this experience over and over again.The Zipper is extremely thrilling, has enough spins to make a person dizzy, and is just an overall great ride. I only give this a 9/10 because I personally feel pretty bruised and battered by the end of every time I go on the Zipper due to the way I always seem to get strapped in. However, it is better to be safe than sorry. I recommend this ride to any thrill seeker.

Rides from a tall perspective  (Jordan Kost)

Labor day weekend is the most popular time for the city of bishop because of the Tri-County Fair! Oh how the bright lights and big metallic machine draw the community members to the fairgrounds like moths to light. The fold-up rides still bring the thrill of an exciting amusement park as you are going upside down or spinning around at unimaginable speeds. My name is Jordan Kost and I’m a Junior at  BUHS. I had the pleasure of riding all the fair rides for the purpose of reviewing them. I am 6 feet tall and took my take on the fair from a tall person perspective.  

FootLoose: 9/10

The first ride of the day was footloose. This gigantic ride that spins you in a vertical circle like the fireball, yet smooth and a little slower. I enjoyed this ride because it was smooth and fun and I was was upside down and right side up an equal amount of times. I overall enjoyed the ride as it gave me the butterflies in my stomach like a big ride in disneyland or Six Flags. This ride is purely a thriller.l

Crazy Train: 4/10

The following ride I rode was this death machine called the Crazy Train. No matter how many people were at the fair this line was always short as we fair goersl all collectively respected those brave enough to ride this ride. You are encased in a small capsule that you can barely see out of and you’re not completely secure in the case. If you’re tall like me you’ll have your head smashed against the top of the death cage and you’re head is repeatedly rammed into the top of the cage throughout the ride. As you whip around you are thrown into your riding partner and the wall of the cage.

Fireball: 7/10

The fireball is a Bishop Tri-county fair classic. This ride is a boring loop in the air and rocky one I might add. If you have balls the harness for the fireball can be painful once upside down as the harness is shoved into your private parts. The fireball is bumpy and redundant as you loop around in a circle and sometimes the conductor of the ride will stop the ride upside down as to cause all the blood to rush to your head. For a tall person this ride is comfortable head wise and will fit your body pretty well.

Tornado: 7/10

This ride is definitely for those of you who like to spin. This ride is a literal tornado as you and the four riders with you pull on a disc spinning your cart faster and faster as you swing around in a circle. This ride is circle within a circle, from a tall perspective view this ride hurts the neck a little as your head is thrown around. After the ride you’re left struggling to walk straight as you still feel like you’re spinning still.

Scrambler: 9/10

The scrambler is a fair classic! This ride whips you around in a circle and slams you into your riding partner. During the ride you feel as if you’ll hit another cart but of course you don’t. This ride is for kids and adults and everyone inbetween. For a tall person this ride can hurt your neck as your whipped around in circles at fast speeds.

Ferris Wheel: 7/10

This review will be bias as I am deathly afraid heights and  the Ferris Wheels in general. The Ferris Wheel is fun for a lovely relaxing sit with your friends as you go up and look down at the fair below you. The Ferris WHeel is loud and creaky which adds unnecessary anxiety, but overall it’s a lot of fun.

Zipper: 8/10

Another Fair Classic and the Fair favorite is the Zipper. The Zipper for a tall person is comfortable and fitting. The ride is always surprising you and you never truly know where you are, but in a fun exciting way. The Zipper is able to give a balance of butterflies in your stomach and a relaxing ride at the beginning and the end of the duration of the ride.

eastern sierra Tri County Fair, Bishop California News, Bishop Union High School, BroncoRoundup, 2016 Tri County Fair